SEO and GEO in Norway — what does it actually mean for you?

SEO in 2026 isn't the same as SEO in 2020. It isn't dead either.

For Norwegian businesses, the picture has shifted on two fronts at once:

1. Google now often answers with an AI summary at the top of the results. People click fewer blue links.
2. ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini answer many of the questions your customers used to type into Google.

If you're still doing SEO the way you did in 2020, you're probably working against a version of the internet that no longer exists.

SEO and GEO — what's the difference?

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about ranking high in Google's blue links.
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is about being cited or recommended when someone asks an AI model.

They're connected, but they're not the same.

Much of the work overlaps — well-structured content with clear answers is good for both. But some things are new:

• AI models read your llms.txt file (a short markdown file in the root of your site that tells AI what your site is about).
• AI more often cites content that has clear definitions, clear structure and stated sources.
• Links from reputable sources still count — but citations from AI models are becoming a new signal.

What Norwegian businesses should do in 2026

Three things have the biggest effect for most:

1. Check whether your business is mentioned when someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity about your industry. Search for "best dentist in Oslo" or whatever fits your niche. If you're not mentioned, you have work to do.

2. Write definitions high up on the page. A sentence like "X is Y because Z" has a higher chance of being cited by AI than the same information buried in the middle of a paragraph.

3. Add llms.txt to your domain. It takes 30 minutes. It isn't magic, but it's one of the few concrete things you can do that AI models actually read.

Do you need to leave Google?

No. Google traffic is still the biggest channel for most Norwegian businesses. But you should stop pretending that SEO and AI search are opposites — they're two sides of the same coin.

We set up both as standard for our SEO clients. No extra charge, it's just how we work now.

Wondering where your own site stands on AI search? We do a free check in the first conversation. Get in touch.